UPDATE: You are a resident of the City of Lake Worth but your pet alligator in Lake Osborne is taken away by trappers.

“Gators really don’t like humans to eat. They eat other things like fish.”

—Quote. Published in The Palm Beach Post on Jan. 31st, 2019, in a story headlined, “Harmless or harmful? Massive 12-foot gator dragged out of Lake Osborne” (link to story below).



Having your pet alligator taken away is a huge problem because Lake Osborne is located in suburban Lake Worth, in the County’s John Prince Park.

But there is a solution!

Contact your elected leadership on the County Commission and your elected leadership in the Florida legislature. How? All that information is below.

The following scenario actually happened.

This incident was published in The Palm Beach Post by a beat reporter with contribution from a community staff writer. To learn more click on link below (highlighted in yellow).

Worth Noting: The alligator’s name has been changed to avoid harassment.


Here we go. . .


You are a resident of the City of Lake Worth but you have a pet 12′ alligator you keep in Lake Osborne. The gator’s name is “Ripples”. But Lake Osborne is in John Prince Park which is outside the municipal limits of the City. John Prince Park and the lake are managed and controlled by the County, not the City of Lake Worth.

Imagine that, every day you are close enough to wave and yell, “Good Morning, Ripples!” but one day Ripples is gone. Frantically you search and then find out that trappers took Ripples out of the lake for so-called ‘public safety’ reasons. Before Ripples ends up gator nuggets on an appetizer menu you want answers. So you march on down to Lake Worth City Hall demanding that Ripples be returned. But the City cannot help you!

Ripples and Lake Osborne are outside the City’s control.

That’s where your state representative comes in. Contact you representative in Tallahassee and say, “I want my Ripples back!” But Ripples is a really big alligator. And therein lies the big question an editor the Post asked, is Ripples “Harmless or harmful”.

Join the debate about Ripples! Return Ripples to Lake Osborne because he or she is just a harmless pet? Click on this link to learn more.


Hope you found the scenario above helpful..

Now moving on, who is YOUR elected state representative in Tallahassee. . .

In the map (see below) the un-shaded areas are a combination of unincorporated PBC, suburban Lake Worth and what is called the Lake Worth Corridor.


Shaded areas in map below are:

• Town of Lantana (shaded red) is to the south.
• Village of Palm Springs (shaded blue) and the Great Walled City of Atlantis (shaded Royal White) are to the west of County-owned (unincorporated) John Prince Park, PBC Park Airport and PBC State College.
• Town of Lake Clarke Shores is to the northwest.
• West Palm Beach is directly to the north (border is the C-51 Canal).

Note in this map one can see the process of “annexation” occurring.

So if you live in one of those unincorporated areas now, that may change in the very near future.

Click on image to enlarge.

Now compare the map above with the district map of the House of Representatives below:

Four districts pass through and include the City of Lake Worth. They are Districts 87–90.

The east-west State Road “802” is Lake Worth Rd. and Lake and Lucerne avenues in Downtown Lake Worth.

The north-south highways are Dixie (US 1) and Federal (nearest the Intracoastal).

Click on map:

To learn who represents your neighborhood and community here in this City in the Florida House of Representatives note the links below.

Going from the east (Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex) to the west (unincorporated Palm Beach County and nearby western municipalities):

District 89 will be represented by recently-elected Mike Caruso (R; shaded lime green): Areas of this district include Lake Worth Beach and all areas east of Federal Hwy. to the Intracoastal. Click on this link for the news about Caruso’s win defeating Jim Bonfiglio (D) by a very slim margin.

District 88 is represented by Representative Al Jaquet (D; shaded lemon yellow): District includes Dixie Hwy. to Federal Hwy. and then expands west at 6th Ave. South to I-95 and District 90.

District 87 is represented by Representative David Silvers (D; shaded bright lavender): District includes areas west of Dixie Hwy. extending outside the City and south to 6th Ave. South and is bordered by District 90 as well.

District 90 is represented by Joseph Casello (D; shaded pear green): District includes areas west of I-95 but not all (a small area of District 87 is west of I-95). District 90 continues west into suburban Lake Worth including the unincorporated John Prince Park, Palm Beach State College, and the Great Walled City of Atlantis.

Also very important:

Your representative in the Florida Senate is Senator Lori Berman.

Your representation on the Palm Beach County Commission is District 3 County Commissioner Dave Kerner and District 7 and Vice Mayor Mack Bernard.



Thank You for visiting once again today and hope you found this information helpful!